What Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc. does

Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc. (PHIL) is a privately held, family-owned designer and manufacturer of custom equipment for off-highway haul trucks, founded on November 4, 1969 in Peoria, Illinois by L.B. "Phil" Philippi and LeRoy Hagenbuch, P.E. The company engineers and fabricates truck bodies, tailgates, rear eject bodies, water tanks, and trailers that are custom-fit to specific articulated and rigid-frame haul truck makes and models for applications including mining, aggregates, construction, refuse and landfill, steel mills, and power plants and refineries. Its core technology base rests on high-strength, abrasion-resistant steels (notably Hardox 450 with Brinnell hardness of 450-500), proprietary hydraulic systems, and patented fabrication methods. Flagship products include the Autogate Tailgate (the world's first commercially available tailgate for off-highway haul trucks, launched at founding), HiVol Load Profiled Bodies, patented Rear Eject Bodies with single-cylinder ejector/tailgate control, patented Body Lifting System using free-floating lifting bells, and hydrophobic steel liners for sticky-material carryback. The company holds over 150 global patents and has shipped more than 20,000 products since 1969, serving 7,654+ clients across six continents.

The business operates on a quote-based, custom-engineered model: each piece is designed for specific client applications, with quotations typically valid for 30 days and 1-2 day quote turnaround, alongside a recurring aftermarket stream of genuine replacement parts (same-day shipping on most small parts, 3-5 days on custom components). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales via regional account managers, an inside sales phone channel (800-447-6464 / +1-309-697-9200), a website quote request funnel, and a dealer network (including G.W. Van Keppel), augmented by a flagship international supply agreement with Volvo Construction Equipment spanning its entire articulated hauler line and a European manufacturing partnership enabling in-region build-and-ship. Beyond equipment sales, PHIL offers custom engineering services for niche solutions such as coil carriers, J-hooks, scissors lifts, and container handlers primarily serving steel mills.

Leadership is in its third generation of family ownership: Danette Hagenbuch Swank has served as President since July 1, 2013; LeRoy Hagenbuch continues as Chief Engineer and Co-Founder; and Josh Swank serves as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Marketing channels include trade publications (Pit & Quarry, Aggregates Manager, Mining Magazine, NSSGA Review), an active company blog, participation in industry trade shows (AGG1, Haulage & Loading), and a presence across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, Vimeo, and YouTube.

Name

Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc.

Legal name

Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc.

Website

https://philsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc. (PHIL) is a family-owned designer and manufacturer founded in 1969 in Peoria, Illinois that engineers and fabricates custom off-highway haul truck bodies, tailgates, rear eject bodies, water tanks, and trailers for the mining, aggregates, construction, refuse, steel mill, and power plant industries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Highway Truck Body Manufacturing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse) (IMACAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Off-Highway Trucks & Haulage Vehicles (IMAHAIAA), Mining & Quarry Haulage Vehicle Manufacturing (Dump Trucks/Haulers) (IMACAFAC)

Keywords

• Off-highway truck bodies
• Haul truck tailgates
• Mining equipment manufacturing
• Rear eject bodies
• Custom truck customization

Headquarters

HQ city

Peoria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Truck Body Manufacturing: Design, engineer, and manufacture custom off-highway truck bodies, tailgates, rear eject bodies, water tanks, and trailers. Each product is custom-engineered for specific client applications and truck makes/models. Revenue generated from equipment sales with typical 30-day quote validity.
2. Replacement Parts & Aftermarket: Supply genuine PHIL replacement parts for all products. With over 20,000 products shipped since 1969, the company provides parts support including chain, seals, and components. Small parts ship same day if ordered before 2pm CST; custom components ship within 3-5 days.
3. Custom Engineering Services: Provide custom engineering and design services for niche solutions including Coil Carriers, Industrial Strength J-Hooks, High-Capacity Scissors Lifts, Container Handlers, and specialized attachments for specific industrial applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Philippi-Hagenbuch (PHIL) designs, engineers, and manufactures custom off-highway haul truck bodies, tailgates, rear eject bodies, water tanks, and trailers for articulated and rigid-frame trucks from 20 to 400 tons. Each product is custom-engineered for specific client applications, truck makes/models, and material conditions, serving mining, aggregates, construction, refuse, steel mills, and power plant industries across six continents.

Product overview

Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc. (PHIL) is a family-owned off-highway truck customization company founded in 1969, offering a comprehensive portfolio of equipment and accessories. The core product line includes Autogate® Tailgates (the world's first commercially available tailgate for off-highway trucks), HiVol® Bodies (custom truck bodies for coal, overburden, ore, oil sands, refuse and other materials), Rear Eject Bodies and Trailers (patented ejector technology), HiVol® Water Tanks (6,000 to 60,000+ gallons), and Lowboy Trailers. These integrate with specialized accessories like the Body Lifting System, Material Spreader Attachment, Hydrophobic Steel Liners (Crodon), Sideboards, Load Ejectors, and Push Blocks. Niche solutions include Coil Carriers, Industrial Strength J-Hooks, Scissors Lifts, Container Handlers, and Vehicle Recovery Tools. All products are custom-engineered for specific makes and models of articulated and rigid-frame off-highway trucks, serving mining, aggregates, construction, refuse, steel mills, and power plant industries across 6 continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Autogate®: PHIL's flagship product line - fast-opening, fast-acting automatic tailgates for off-highway haul trucks
• HiVol®
• HardRock®
• Oil Sands®
• Load Profiled®

Products and services

• Autogate Tailgates The world's first commercially available tailgate engineered and manufactured for off-highway haul trucks, providing fast-opening/fast-acting operation, increased payloads, decreased material spillage, and balanced load distribution. Available for articulated and rigid frame trucks from 20 ton to 340 ton capacity.
• HiVol Truck Bodies Custom-engineered off-highway truck bodies for specific materials and applications including Coal Bodies, Dual-Purpose Bodies, Overburden Bodies, HardRock/Ore Bodies, Oil Sands Bodies, Asymmetrical Underground Bodies, Scrap Steel Bodies, Hot Slag Bodies, Refuse/Mulch/Bio-Solids Bodies, and CCP's/Flyash Bodies. Constructed with ultra-high strength, abrasion-resistant steels with Brinnell hardness of 450-500 Tuf.
• HiVol Load Profiled Bodies Patented specialty bodies specifically engineered for unique operating conditions using a patented volumetric capacity measuring process to maximize payload and productivity. Incorporates the Predictive Load Approach for accurate weight distribution based on OEM guidelines.
• Rear Eject Bodies Patented ejector bodies that forcibly eject materials without raising the truck bed. Features single hydraulic cylinder controlling ejector and tailgate, exclusive ejector guides (no rollers), and flat floor design. Available for articulated and rigid frame off-highway trucks.
• Volvo A60H Rear Eject Body Rear Eject Bodies engineered specifically for the Volvo A60H, the largest articulated haul truck on the market. Body volume of 43.9 cubic yards with 2:1 heap ratio, 50 percent larger than common rear eject bodies, interior width of 156 inches, loading height of 148 inches, built with Hardox 450 steel.
• Rear Eject Trailers Trailers with rear eject technology for ADT's, scrap steel, flyash, and custom applications. Features PHIL's unique 6-way kingpin hitch, typically doubles payload of traditional truck bodies.
• HiVol Water Tanks Patented water tank design from 6,000 to 60,000+ gallons for dust suppression, fire protection, road construction, and wash down. Features patented fluid tank baffling system, external/internal access door system, and in-cab controlled water cannon. Available for articulated and rigid frame off-highway trucks.
• Lowboy Trailers High-capacity rear loading lowboy trailers for moving heavy equipment. Features patent-pending lifting system for safer body installation/removal.
• Material Spreader Attachment Attachment for PHIL Rear Eject Bodies for spreading traction materials on haul roads. Three-part system with Grizzly screen and spreading attachment. Active system using ejector blade and cross auger.
• Push Block Engineered push block integrated with rear chassis on off-highway trucks ranging from 20 to 400 tons. Provides safe push point to dislodge trucks from areas with poor ground conditions without damaging truck body.
• Replacement Parts Genuine PHIL replacement parts with over 20,000 products shipped since 1969. Includes proprietary chain forged for mining equipment with unique metallurgy. Small parts ship same day if ordered before 2pm CST; custom components ship within 3-5 days.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-20% additional volumetric capacity with Autogate Tailgate installation
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and regional.

• G.W. Van KeppelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 May 2022Partnership with G.W. Van Keppel, a dealership based in Kansas City, Missouri, for distribution of PHIL products. The first two rear eject bodies for Volvo A60H trucks were shipped through this partnership to a mine in Oklahoma.
• Volvo Construction EquipmentflagshipTechnology or IntegrationVolvo CE entered into an international supply agreement with PHIL to offer customized products including proprietary ejector bodies, water tanks, J-Hook systems, and articulated hauler customizations. Agreement spans Volvo's entire articulated hauler product line including A25F, A30F, A35F, A40F standard and full suspension versions.
• European Manufacturing FirmregionalTechnology or IntegrationPartnership enables PHIL to build its entire line of products for Articulated Haulers and Rigid Frame Dump Trucks in Europe and ship within European and other markets.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Komatsu: OEM of rigid-frame mining trucks (HD785, 930E, 980E) and articulated haulers (HM400). Comparable as the platform provider for off-highway trucks that PHIL customizes with tailgates, bodies, and J-Hook attachments.
• Hitachi Construction Machinery: OEM of ultra-class rigid-frame mining trucks (EH1700–EH8000) and articulated haulers under the Hitachi/EH series. Comparable as the platform provider for some of the largest payloads that PHIL customizes with bodies and ejector systems.
• Liebherr: OEM of T 282/T 284 rigid-frame mining trucks and large articulated haulers (L 550–L 586). Comparable as a supplier of off-highway haul truck chassis that PHIL upfits and a competitor for mining fleet customization contracts.
• Terex: Manufacturer of rigid-frame mining trucks (TR60–TR100) and heavy off-highway equipment under Terex Trucks/MPT. Comparable as a competing provider of off-highway haul trucks and related bodies for surface mining and aggregates operations.
• Caterpillar: Dominant OEM of rigid-frame off-highway mining trucks (Cat 777, 785, 789, 793, 797). Comparable as the upstream platform provider whose chassis PHIL upfits with custom bodies, tailgates, and ejector systems across Cat fleets.

Direct peers

• Bell Equipment: Manufacturer of articulated haulers (B45E through B60E) and a frequent pair-up with PHIL-style body customization. Comparable as a partner and direct competitor in the niche of articulated haul truck upfitting for mining and construction.
• Volvo Construction Equipment: OEM of articulated haulers (A25F–A60H) with which PHIL has an international supply agreement to provide customized bodies, ejectors, water tanks, and J-Hooks. Comparable as both customer and counterparty on off-highway truck customization.
• Heil (Environmental Solutions Group): North America's largest manufacturer of refuse truck bodies (Front/Side/Rear Loaders). Comparable as a peer in refuse and specialty truck body fabrication, particularly relevant to PHIL's HiVol Refuse Bodies and Rear Eject Refuse Bodies product lines.
• Reading Truck Body: U.S. manufacturer of custom truck bodies, utility/service bodies, and upfit solutions for commercial fleets. Comparable as a peer in custom-engineered truck body fabrication, though Reading focuses more on Class 1–7 commercial trucks versus PHIL's off-highway mining focus.
• Knapheide: Manufacturer of custom truck bodies, utility beds, and upfit solutions for commercial and specialty vehicles. Comparable as a peer in custom-engineered truck body fabrication with similar customer-base overlap in industrial and fleet applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/philippihagenbuch
• Facebookfacebook.com/philsystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/599315
• Instagraminstagram.com/philsystems
• Xx.com/philsystems

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc.